The anti-corruption agency, EFCC, has spoken on the arrest of its acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, by security agents.
PREMIUM TIMES reported Mr Magu’s arrest on Monday afternoon at the Wuse II office of the EFCC in Abuja.
Sources told the media that the security agents who arrested Mr Magu took him directly to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he is to appear before a presidential panel sitting at the Banquet Hall of the villa.
The panel is investigating allegations of corruption and insubordination levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation. Abubakar Malami.
In a statement on Monday, the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, denied that Mr Magu was arrested – but confirmed that the EFCC boss is at the Presidential Villa to appear before a panel set up by the president to review activities of the EFCC at the villa.
“Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu on Monday, July 6, 2020, honoured an invitation by a Presidential Panel reviewing the activities of the EFCC, at the Banquet Hall wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mr Oyewale said.
“He was served the invitation to the Panel, while on his way to the Force Headquarters, Abuja for a meeting.
“The EFCC’s boss was neither arrested nor forced to honour the invitation. A member of a legal team from the EFCC is also with him on the Panel,” Mr Oyewale said.
Mr Magu was still at the villa at the time of this report where he was joined by an EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.
Journalists covering the State House were barred from access to the banquel hall where the presidential panel is interviewing the EFCC chief.
Security officials, mostly officials of the SSS, told journalists they had instructions not to let anyone in.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has said that it did not arrest Mr Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Service’s Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, said this in a statement on Monday.
He stated that the DSS has since been inundated with inquiries over the reported arrest of Magu, stressing that the Service has no connection with the incident.
Afunanya issued the statement after reports emerged that the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency had been arrested by DSS officials in Abuja.
When contacted, Magu’s S.A. on Media, Tony Amokeodo, told Channels Television that his boss was not arrested but only invited to answer questions regarding some allegations against the agency.
Amokeodo explained that Magu was invited to appear before a Federal Government panel set up to investigate the allegations of corruption levelled against him.
According to him, the panel is sitting at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Opera News
